"However," N lowered his arms. "This is not the venue where we shall witness who the true hero is. I am Team Plasma's King. As such, there is a much better place suitable for our fated battle."
I glanced around at the ornate golden architecture. "You're saying this isn't fancy enough for your taste?"
N pulled a face. "It's too fancy. But no, that isn't really the reason. This is a temple, a place for priests and worshipers. But I am a king. And a king must have his palace." Suddenly the entire temple began to tremble as a huge rumbling sound filled the room.
"What-!?" I looked at N, eyes wide. "What did you do!?"
N only smiled as he turned around, heading for the back of the temple. I hurried after him and soon enough we came out of the back of the temple. Flat land of hard rock and grass stretched on for miles, but my attention was drawn to the cracking earth not too far away as the ground shook even harder.
The ground gave way as castle turrets broke through the earth, rising higher. Along with it came castle walls that rose up from all sides, surrounding the Pokemon League. Once they reached their peak, the castle finished ascending and sections opened up along the sides. It looked like a modern mansion, yet a castle all the same. Black platforms shot down from each one, colliding with the ground and breaking through, creating bridges up to the castle. Or rather, bridges for the dozens of Team Plasma grunts to come trooping down, each squad led by one of Team Plasma's seven sages, minus Ghetsis.
"This is my castle, Zeno," N said as he began walking towards the nearest bridge. "Making your way to my throne will be your final task. Reshiram and I shall be waiting."
"N!" I shouted, moving to give chase, only for his grunts to rush down the stairs past him, their Pokemon forming a barrier. I leaped back, putting space between us.
"Impudent child," one of the sages spat. "You will refer to him as King!"
"You are the supposed Hero of Ideals?" Another judged. "You are nothing."
"You won't even get the chance to face our King," a third spoke with finality in his tone. "You will be stopped here."
"All loyal followers of our King!" One of them raised his hand. "Your task is to defend this castle with your very lives! Our King is the Hero of Truth who fights to free all Pokemon from the unrighteous!"
"He is the one who will bring about peace and prosperity to all who believe in his truth!"
Arcaneis appeared at my side, growling low as he crouched, his hackles rising.
"Our King has entrusted us with this task!" The final sage glared at me. "If you cannot even do that, then what are you worth to our excellency!?" He pointed to me with a crooked finger. "Destroy him!"
Just as the first wave of Pokemon leaped towards me, a wave of fire blasted them backwards. I raised my hands to shield my face from the heat, glancing back. There, standing with his hands on his hips and a Volcarona to his side, was Alder.
"Well now," He glanced appreciatively at the castle. "Isn't this a nice change of scenery."
"You're the previous-!" One of the sages took a step back. "Team Plasma, fight for our King and take them both down!"
"It isn't just me you know," Alder said as an earthquake rippled through the ground, knocking many grunts off their feet as an Excadrill tore through the earth, landing beside Clay.
"Howdy," Clay grinned, hefting his pickaxe onto his shoulder. "I think I recognize some of you folks from Driftveil. And you should recognize the rest of my company."
Twin powerful black and purple Hyper Beams struck a bridge to the right, forcing the grunts and Pokemon on it to scramble off before it could collapse. A Watchog and Stoutland shook themselves after firing the powerful attack as they stood alongside their trainers.
"So sorry," Lenora remarked, looking not at all sorry. "We all decided to stop by."
"You picked a fine day to attack," Cheren loosened his tie, giving the grunts they just attacked a hard look. "But I guess this will serve as an interesting topic to teach my class about Pokemon ethics."
As more grunts rushed towards them from further down, thick vines shot up from around them, pulling several Pokemon into the air. Sitting elegantly atop it was Burgh, his Leavanny sitting atop his shoulder gracefully. "We must do all we can for each and every Pokemon. But we mustn't lose our humanity in the process."
An electric blast went off to my left as a Zebstrika raced through the hoard of enemies, shocking them all. Elesa hopped off from his back, retracting her visor. "Ignoring Team Plasma for what they've done, how could we call ourselves Gym Leaders if we did such a thing."
"Hrrraaaah!" Brycen yelled, having snuck behind enemy lines and had gotten onto a bridge behind all the grunts and was currently fighting his way through, his Beartic tossing both human and Pokemon over the sides like they were nothing.
A loud guitar riff pulses through the air as a wave of poison slammed another wave of grunts back. Roxie laughed maniacally as she strode on forward with her Weezing floating above her. "You think we were just gonna sit by and let you steal people's Pokemon!? Nah, you don't have the right to break up the band!"
Aerial bombardment came next courtesy of Swanna before she settle on top of the temple's roof, Skyla already there beside her. "Unova's skies will be safe with me!"
Two huge Haxorus landed heavily on the ground, swinging their tails in tangent, both knocking back half a dozen Whirlipedes back. Drayden and Iris stood there, the former's arms crossed and eyes burning with controlled anger. "I can agree with some of what you say. But I cannot ever forgive the way-" His eyes widened with fury. "You reject everything else!"
Iris smirked. "What the old man said."
"Yo, Zeno," Alex waved to me as she and Robert emerged from the temple, along with a few others. "We got the message out. Hope this is enough."
"It will be," Hugh glared at Team Plasma. "It's time for some good old fashioned revenge."
"Thanks for inviting us, Rob," Hilbert patted the blond on the shoulder. "This should be fun."
"Says the battle junkie," Hilda snorted in amusement.
"We'll hold them off here," Alder told me. "Go. If anyone has the right to face him, it's you. And maybe it won't have to end in a battle."
"We can only hope," I said, pulling myself onto Arcaneis' back. I patted his side. "Let's go, buddy."
"STOP HIM!" A sage roared, but as a new wall of grunts surged forward, a huge wave crashed into their side, washing them away.
"Keep going dude!" Marlon shouted, saluting me from atop his Carracosta.
Rings of ghostly energy erupted in the vicinity, launching grunts and Pokemon alike away from the nearest bridge. "This will certainly be a story to tell," Shauntal tapped her chin with her pen. "One of a king's follies."
The nearest sage became purple with rage. "How dare you! Destroy the bridges! We cannot allow them to come any further!"
"Run!" I yelled to Arcaneis and he broke into full out sprint for the nearest bridge, only for a collective attack to destroy most of it. On all sides a hoard of Pokemon closed in on us, only for Conkeldurr's two huge concrete pillars to slam into them all.
"Keep going, kid!" Marshal shouted. "Let us make up for our past failings!"
I didn't waste time responding as I leaned into Arcaneis' fur, prompting him to go faster. His speed quickened as he pushed off the edge of the broken bridge towards the opening in the castle. Too late I noticed we wouldn't make it, missing it by a few meters-
We jerked forwards suddenly, flying straight into the castle. Arcaneis cut off his speed and we both looked back to see Caitlin waving at us from atop her Metagross, yawning as the pink aura faded from her Pokemon's eyes. Nodding to her in thanks, I urged Arcaneis onwards and further into the castle.
The interior of the castle was, in a word, regal. The tiles were a royal blue with white crisscrossing lines. The walls were white marble with gold outlines, with supporting pillars spaced evenly across the long hallways.
As Arcaneis ran through, we passed by many doors and more than a few people. They were dressed in regular clothes and regarded us with either open disdain or fear. The Pokemon milling about didn't attack, but they also shied away from us, as if expecting to be attacked. I looked away, unable to ignore the uncomfortable feeling in my chest. As much as Team Plasma had gone around stealing Pokemon, I didn't doubt there were many here that had been abused before being taken by N. Perhaps there were even wild Pokemon here, saved by N.
Still, I kept my eyes trained forward, on the lookout for any indication there was a throne room. There is no excuse for what he's done. For what he has allowed Team Plasma to get away with.
We took the stairs, bounding up the steps. Once we reached the next floor, Arcaneis slid to a halt. Standing in our way were two young women. The one on the left had long pink hair and was garbed in green cloak that settled over a white shirt and white-pink skirt. The other woman wore something similar, but instead of a cloak she wore a blue blouse and her skirt was white-yellow, and her blonde hair hung down in a braid.
"Stop, Hero of Ideals," the pink haired woman spoke. "We must speak with you."
"I'm in a bit of a hurry," I told her. "If you two could please-"
"Please," the other woman clasped her hands together. "Before you face N, you should know who it is you are truly fighting. We'll be as quick as we can, we promise."
"We beg of you." Both bowed their heads. I groaned. "Make this quick, please."
They nodded and gestured to a door off to the side. "Follow us."
Arcaneis and I stepped into the room and my eyes widened at the sight within. Toys were scattered everywhere, worn plushies lay in a pile, and a small table held a few picture frames of what could only be a young N, one of them containing him smiling as he stood next to a Darmanitan, Woobat, and Zorua.
"What is this place?" I asked, having picked up the picture. "Was it..."
"It was N's room," the pink haired woman who introduced herself as Anthea said. "This room is a perfect replica of the one he grew up in. He asked for it to be built exactly as it was here in the castle. He liked to have it as a reminder of why he's doing what he's doing."
"His blood family were cruel.," Concordia, the blonde, spoke this time. " To him, but especially to Pokemon. One day he had enough and fled into a forest with the Pokemon. It was there that Ghetsis found him. He took him and the Pokemon in. He allowed N to care for the Pokemon and help them get better."
"Ghetsis would find more Pokemon that had been horribly mistreated and bring them to him so that N could care for them," Anthea picked the story back up as I stared at all the toys strewn about. A layer of dust had settled on them. "This room was where he played with them and came to care for them deeply." Her eyes became downcast. "It was because of this that N came to despise humans, who were always the cause for the pain the Pokemon had endured."
"I don't think he even sees himself as a human," Concordia said. "His ability to communicate with Pokemon and his connection to them has always made him feel more like one of them. Then he learned of the heroes of Unova, and the Dragon of Truth, from Ghetsis. Now N is convinced that he is the Hero of Truth who must save Unova."
"Wait," I looked at the two of them. "You don't believe N is the Hero of Truth?"
"He believes what he has been raised to believe," Anthea responded. "And that was enough for Reshiram to answer his calls."
"Ghetsis has shown him that humans are only capable of hurting Pokemon, so N is willing to do anything he can to free them," Concordia stepped past me to smile fondly at a picture of young N. "His past family brought nothing but suffering, but he's worked hard to move past that in order to do something good."
I thought of Giovanni. His dark deeds. Mine as well. Yet now I tried to walk the path of righteousness. We're alike, I realized. Even if only somewhat.
"It doesn't matter if he is the Hero of Truth," the blonde said softly. "Nor does it matter if you're the Hero of Ideals. All that matters is that N doesn't believe humans can truly coexist with humans the way things are now. However-"
"It seems you are someone he sees as an exception," the pinkette broke back into the conversation. "Having travelled with you and your friends has opened his eyes up to a many things. Most of all that not every human is terrible to their Pokemon despite first appearances."
Arcaneis let out a small woof, nuzzling the back of my head. I absentmindedly rubbed his cheek, their words echoing in my head. I was slowly beginning to piece together the information they were giving me.
"This is why he has picked you as his opposite," Anthea continued. "Your ideals would shatter the only truth he has ever known, and he wishes to honorably face you in order to see who is ultimately right."
"This was never about being right," I said. "Nor did I care to be this 'Hero of Ideals'. I'm just here to make sure no one, humans or Pokemon, get hurt anymore. To stop Team Plasma."
"We know, Hero Born of Darkness," they now spoke in tangent, their gazes boring into me. "That is why we implore you to understand who it is you are truly facing."
"I understand," I turned and Arcaneis lifted himself up, padding after me. "Believe me, I do. I think I always did."
Ghetsis stood outside the throne room, clearly waiting for me. I slid off Arcaneis' back and stepped forward to face him.
"Welcome, bearer of the Dark Stone," he greeted me. "Our King has awaited your arrival."
"Good to know," I said. "Mind getting out of the way then?"
Ghetsis looked a little put out before a chuckle escaped his lips. "You are quite something, Zeno. Go." He stepped aside, his cloak rising as he raised his hand to allow me passage. "Face our King. Show us what is more powerful. The truth he seeks to spread across the world, or the ideals you hold dear."
I kept him in my gaze as I moved past him, before turning my full attention on the large double doors. Pressing against them, I pushed them open. They creaked loudly in protest, but opened fairly easily. Arcaneis and I found ourselves in a grand room, water on either side of us as a strip of floor split them apart. Banners bearing Team Plasma's insignia hung from the supporting pillars, fluttering gently as the doors closed behind us. There, on the far side of the room, standing in front of the throne, was N. I almost expected him to be wearing a regal cloak or maybe a crown, but he remained the same as he had been earlier. The only difference was the huge white dragon that stood beside him, towering over the throne.
The Dark Stone in my pocket felt warm. It knew the time was at hand. When truth and ideals would finally have their fated clash. Heroes or not, we would settle our differences. One way or another.
